


Understanding.

by CupCakezys



Series: We Are Not Monsters [9]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Arthur Knows About Merlin's Magic (Merlin), M/M, Magic Revealed, POV Morgana (Merlin), Werewolf Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), a lot of magical theory, mentions of past violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-28
Updated: 2019-09-28
Packaged: 2020-10-29 21:03:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20802947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CupCakezys/pseuds/CupCakezys
Summary: Morgana’s head was a confusing mess of fear and dread, hope and wonder. It had been that way since the trip to Ealdor, when Merlin’s friend had confessed to using sorcery to save his people. She hadn’t talked about it to anyone, not since that conversation with Arthur months ago, but it still gnawed at her mind. Especially with the nagging voice in the back of her head telling her that her nightmares were no simple nightmares, and especially after the feast last night.So, burning with the confusing mess her feelings had become, Morgana sought Arthur out the next day, as they had both known she would.





	Understanding.

Merlin greeted her when she knocked loudly on Arthur’s door. His eyes widened when he saw her, and he hesitated only a moment before pulling the door open with a sigh of resignation.

“Good morning, my lady.” He stepped back, sweeping his hand out. “Come in.”

Morgana brushed past him, and only relaxed once he’d closed the door. “Merlin.” She started, then glanced around the obviously empty room. “Where’s Arthur?”

“Out with his knights in the lower town.” Merlin waved his hand and tried to smile, but Morgana could see how tight it was. He was worried. “Someone arrived this morning saying he knew- well. That he had some valuable information. Arthur was sent to check if it was correct.”

Morgana raised an eyebrow. “Valuable information? Why have I heard nothing about this?”

“It was early this morning, my lady. I’m sure you were still asleep, as was most everyone else in Camelot.”

Her eyebrow stayed raised. “Then how do you know so much already?”

Merlin flushed. “Ah. Oh- well, see-“

Morgana laughed. “Relax Merlin. I was only teasing.” She winked. “A prince’s bed has got to be more comfortable than your own.”

Merlin choked and went bright red. Morgana laughed again, and for a moment she felt freer than she had in months. Then the chamber doors burst open, ruining the moment and cutting Morgana’s laugh off abruptly. Arthur slammed the doors shut behind them, already stripping himself of his armour before he caught sight of her.

He straightened, glancing from her to Merlin. “Morgana. To what do I owe this pleasure?”

It sounded like his usual uninterested drawl, but Morgana could see his hands shaking. It made her relax, just a little, to see that Arthur was about as ready to have this conversation as she was. She sunk down into the chair by Arthur’s desk and tapped the table to keep from fidgeting.

“Sit.” She commanded simply, and Arthur slumped.

Merlin took his sword from him and bustled about the room, picking up dirtied clothes and making Arthur’s bed. It had been half finished when she walked in, so she suspected she had interrupted him with her impromptu visit. She felt slightly guilty, but this was a conversation she needed to have with Arthur as soon as possible.

She caught Merlin’s eye and held it. “Leave us.”

Merlins lips immediately thinned, and Arthur grunted. “Merlin has my utmost trust, Morgana. You needn’t send him away.”

Morgana studied him. She supposed he was a rather gentle man, and a friend. Not to mention he had been Will’s best friend in Ealdor. He must have known about Will’s magic, must have accepted it, otherwise why would Arthur have taken him along to fight those bandits? She nodded, and both men relaxed somewhat.

Still, she didn’t know where to begin, and was grateful when Merlin cleared his throat.

“Have you eaten today, my lady?” He asked.

Morgana shook her head. She’d been far too upset to even think of eating. From the looks of Arthur, he’d been hastened out of bed and thrown into his armour before he could even get a word out, let alone get something to eat.

“Should I go get some breakfast for the two of you then?” Merlin looked to Arthur.

They seemed to have an entire conversation with just their eyes and simple movements of their heads. Morgana watch, fascinated, as they reached a conclusion within seconds.

“Yes, thank you Merlin.” Arthur relaxed back into his chair. “And do make sure there’s enough for three.”

Merlin grinned and gave a little bow, more a nod than anything, and left the room in a hurry. The doors shut near silently behind him, and immediately the air changed. Morgana felt it pressing on her shoulders, and started tapping at the table again.

“Will you stop that.” Arthur snapped, shifting in his seat. “It’s annoying.”

Morgana curled her hand into a fist and knocked it against the table once, hard. “Better?”

Arthur wasn’t fooled by her faked innocence, but, surprisingly, he let it go with a sigh. “I know you’re nervous Morgana, but I promise you have nothing to fear from me.”

Morgana blinked. “I’m not afraid of you.”

She hadn’t meant to blurt it out, but it was true. She had never feared Arthur. He was, in fact, one of the few people she trusted. If the sorceress’s words last night were true, then... well, it wouldn’t change anything. Morgana still wouldn’t fear him.

Arthur chuckled darkly and shook his head.

Morgana frowned. “I’m telling the truth Arthur. I’m not afraid of you.”

“Even if I tell you the answer to your question is yes?”

Morgana gasped and failed to hide it. “I haven’t asked anything yet.”

“You didn’t need to.” Arthur met her eyes, determination filling them. “We both know why you’re here. What you were going to ask.” He sat back, eyes never leaving hers. “So ask it.”

Morgana swallowed audibly, her throat suddenly dry. “Are you a werewolf?”

Arthur’s breath hitched, but his voice was steady when he spoke. “Yes.”

Morgana felt her heart start beating like a drum. She’d been expecting that answer, thought she was prepared for it, but in truth she still couldn’t wrap her head around, couldn’t believe it even after Arthur himself had confirmed it. One look at the normally composed man, and Morgana knew he was speaking the truth. He was shaking, and looking damn near terrified of her reaction.

She thought about it for a second, then nodded. Arthur was a werewolf, and he was her friend, and nothing would change that. She would not fear him. And she wanted him to know that, to believe it. She wanted him to know his trust was not something Morgana would take lightly, without giving in return. So she swallowed, and gathered all her courage.

“I think I have magic.” She finally whispered.

Arthur jerked back and his eyes widened in shock. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, clearly unable to say anything. Morgana shifted, and tried to fight back against the rising panic. She refused to be afraid. Arthur had shown he was more open to the idea that all magic wasn’t automatically evil – the incident in Ealdor had taught her that – but it was hard to squash down the fear of someone else knowing what she suspected about herself.

The silence dragged on, and with it Morgana steadily felt the fear growing to overwhelm her. Perhaps she had made a mistake- maybe Arthur wasn’t accepting of magic at all, maybe-

The sound of the door interrupted her thoughts, and Morgana couldn’t help the little sigh of relief when Merlin entered. Arthur almost leapt forward out of his seat, eyes staring intently at Merlin, and Morgana felt confusion mix in with her fear.

“Show her what you can do.” Arthur commanded, startling Merlin and just making Morgana even more confused.

Merlin closed the door behind him with his foot, a large tray balanced carefully on his arms. “What?”

“Show her, you know!” Arthur waved his hands around. “Your gifts.”

Morgana glanced between the two, her mind whirling. There was no way Arthur was suggesting what she thought he was suggesting. There was no way. She’d gotten it wrong- she must have.

“Arthur-“ Merlin’s eyes darted to Morgana, and she couldn’t hold back the gasp when she saw her own fear mirrored back at her.

_She wasn’t alone. _

“Trust me.” Arthur said.

Merlin breathed deeply and then dropped the tray. Morgana gasped and automatically stood to try and catch it, no matter how hopeless she knew it was, but to her astonishment the tray stayed where it was, hovering in the air. Morgana looked up into Merlin’s eyes, only to jolt back when she saw them glowing bright gold. She fell back into her chair, simply staring at Merlin.

The magical manservant sent Arthur a nervous glance before he waved his hand and the tray sailed over to the table, placing itself down neatly in the centre. Morgana swallowed, but thankfully didn’t jump this time. Arthur held out a hand and Merlin instantly made his way to his side, his own hands shaking as he allowed the prince to pull him down onto his lap and into a hug.

“It’s okay, Morgana.” Arthur said lowly. “I understand.”

Of course he did. How long had it been since he’d been bitten? He was always kept inside when the moon was full, and Morgana could count on one hand the number of times Uther had allowed him outside the castle walls when the danger of being attacked was so high. The last time it happened was years ago, when Arthur had been on patrol with his knights and had been attacked by-

“That patrol.” She gasped quietly. “It wasn’t an ordinary dog that attacked you.”

Arthur was already shaking his head. “No. No it wasn’t.”

Morgana swallowed and let her eyes settle back on Merlin. “I have magic- my nightmares, sometimes they come true. And you?”

Merlin shrugged and leaned into Arthur’s side, resting his cheek in Arthur’s hair. “I was born like this. I was doing magic before I could even speak.”

Morgana frowned. “Is that even possible?”

Merlin sighed and slipped from Arthur’s lap. A chair slid across the floor towards them, and Merlin sat as Arthur grabbed his plate. Morgana grabbed her own and Merlin sighed again before taking his. He took a quick bite of a sausage before he started speaking again.

“Gaius has a theory.” He said, glancing between them both. “Witches and warlocks – people like us, people born with magic – are rare. Or at least, they were, before...”

“Before the purge.” Arthur finished grimly.

Merlin nodded. “Yes. When there was an abundance of magic within Camelot, those born with magic were few and far between. They were so rare, in fact, that Gaius thought they were a myth, or their powers greatly exaggerated. The only magic users he had ever met were those that had been taught to use magic – sorcerers and sorceresses.”

Morgana frowned. “Then how does he explain a witch and a warlock being born within the span of a few years?” She asked, hushed. “I certainly never learnt how to use any magic – these visions just started happening!”

“I know, my lady.” Merlin reassured her, and he looked excited now. “That’s where Gaius’s theory begins. Since the purge, he has met the both of us, and- do you remember that druid boy we saved?”

“Wait.” Arthur interrupted. “Are you telling me _Mordred_ had magic? He looked barely eight years old!”

Merlin nodded. “He was able to speak to me with his mind. I’ve never known-“ he frowned for a second. “I’ve never known a person that could do that.”

Morgana noted the way he stumbled over his words, but didn’t mention it. Yet. “And?”

“And! Last month, Arthur and I met a woman and her daughter. She was only nine years old, yet Juliana said her magic had already begun to develop.”

Morgana closed her eyes for a moment, calculating, then hesitantly spoke. “I’ve been having nightmares since I reached my tenth year.”

Merlin nodded and sat back. “That’s four children. Four of us that could wield magic without ever being taught how, and who knows how many more there are out there, hiding.”

Morgana shook her head. “It doesn’t make sense. If witches and warlocks were so rare before, why are there so many of us being born now?”

Merlin slapped his hand down on the table. “Because of the purge.”

Arthur snorted. “How did the execution of hundreds of sorcerers lead to more magical children being born?”

Merlin eyes glittered, and Morgana found herself holding her breath. “Gaius believes – and I do too, it’s a very plausible theory – that with the sudden rejection of magic within Camelot, and the execution of all those sorcerers, the magic they once had was left unused in the world. No one in Camelot dared learn how to use it, so it just stayed there, waiting to be used, until it couldn’t afford to wait anymore. Magic requires balance, and without sorcerers to use it, the magic just kept building up until it couldn’t anymore.”

Morgana sat back in her chair, eyes wide and mouth open. “So it found a way to be used.”

“Exactly.” Merlin grinned. “Gaius thinks that most of it went to me.” He gestured to himself and flushed a little. “I’ve been able to do magic before I could even talk, and even for a warlock that’s unheard of. The rest has simply hung around until the right child was conceived, and then it flowed into them in an attempt to balance things out again.”

“But none are as strong as you.” Arthur said, and it wasn’t a question, not with that amount of wonder and pride in his voice, but Merlin nodded anyway.

“No, none will ever be as strong as me. There aren’t as many sorcerers dying now, so it’s easier for the magic to stay balanced. And the more magic we use, the less will build up, and the less magical children will be born.”

Morgana thought all of this sounded wonderful, but there was one thing that wouldn’t stop nagging at her. “I was born before the purge.”

Both men blinked at her, Merlin furrowing his brows in confusion. “You were?”

Morgana shrugged. “I was born a little less than a year before Arthur.”

They all puzzled over it for a moment before Merlin shrugged and said hesitantly. “Maybe you were just the rare child born with magic? Before the balance was upset?”

Morgana blinked. “You think so?”

Merlin nodded. “It would make sense. If there hadn’t been a witch or warlock for hundreds of years, then I bet plenty of magic would have simply built up naturally.” He studied her for a moment. “It would mean that you would be very powerful.”

Morgana gulped. She wasn’t sure she liked the sound of that. Arthur, however, simply looked amazed at the idea.

“You two could be unstoppable together.” He whispered. “If you have all that magic, imagine what you could do.”

Morgana shivered. She could see it, how if she truly were that powerful, if Merlin was too, they could do anything. No one would be able to stop them, they could crush anyone in their path. They could destroy entire kingdoms with such power, she knew. Many weaker sorcerers had come close to toppling Camelot with barely a fraction of what she potentially had inside of her. Would she be able to resist the temptation to use her powers like that? Or would she give in, and do what she wanted when she wanted to, no matter who it hurt?

She blanched at the idea, and wondered how Arthur could still look so amazed.

“You could heal any sickness.” Arthur started, surprising her. She hadn’t even thought of that, hadn’t _known_ magic could even do that. “You could protect the entire city from attack, you could rebuild homes and grow entire forests – you could ensure no one ever starved, or wished for warmth in winter.” He stood up and started pacing, too excited to sit, a grin splitting his face. “You could bring peace to the entirety of Albion with that kind of power.”

Morgana’s heart was beating fast beneath her skin. She hadn’t even _thought_ – hadn’t even _known_ magic could do half of those things! Something hummed, right underneath the blood pumping through her veins, and she could almost see it, almost taste the freedom and the love and the _peace_.

_Albion’s Golden Age. _

She gasped, but Merlin was already shaking his head, and the buzzing was quickly fading.

“Magic requires _balance_ Arthur.” He explained, taking Arthur’s hands in his when he was close enough. It made Arthur stop pacing, at least. “Little things are easy, but to do things on such a large scale – there could be serious consequences. Consequences that could be worse than simply letting things be.”

Arthur pouted and slumped back into his chair, though he didn’t let go of Merlin's hands. Morgana chose not to comment. Now was not the time for teasing. There would be plenty of that later.

“But we could help.” She said instead. “We could use our magic to help people.”

“Yeah.” Merlin's grin was huge. “Yeah, we could.”

**Author's Note:**

> This may be the last part for a while, as I'm going to be focusing on little one shots for Marry Merthur Month, so if this series is put on hold for a while that will be why! Thank you for reading, and I'll see you in the next one, whenever that may be. :)


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